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Similarities Between John D. Rockefeller And J. P. Morgan

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Amongst the urbanization and technological advances during the Industrial Revolution emerged the titans of the industry. Fronting some of these major corporations were business leaders John D. Rockefeller and J. P. Morgan, who were most notable for the immoral practices and ruthless tactics they used to gain their wealth. On the contrary, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie headed the U.S. Steel Corporation, where he earned his millions through truthful and legal methods, making both viewpoints on business leaders valid. Through criminal and morally questionable schemes, the oil industry’s tycoon Rockefeller and financer J.P. Morgan corruptly made themselves a fortune, earning the label as “greedy and unscrupulous”, but not all industry leaders …show more content…

Rockefeller, the head of the Standard Oil Company, had the unofficial moto “let us prey [on small businesses]”, which he did with the by using horizontal integration to nearly monopolize the entire oil industry. Rockefeller eliminated his competitors and drove them out of business by producing oil cheaper than the market price, which put immense pressure on smaller companies and left them bankrupt. Rockefeller also was earned himself the nickname “Reckafellow” for the immorality and cruelty that he showed towards smaller companies by focusing only on the pursuit of wealth. Another magnate is J. P. Morgan who used interlocking directorates to gain his massive power and wealth in the financial industry. Morgan planted his company’s own men amongst members of the board-of-directors to eliminate competitors and give his company control over the industry. Despite interlocking doctorates became illegal under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, it was never enforcement. Morgan was able to buy the U.S. Steel Corporation (which became the first billion-dollar company) from the steel industry’s leader, Andrew Carnegie. Conversely, Carnegie had more than just wealth in his mind (although he was one of the riches people at the time). Carnegie used the legal process of vertical integration to create the U.S. Steel Corporation, where he cut his expenses and exponentially increased his profits by owning all the business involved in the production process. Carnegie’s business process was completely legal and ethical, unlike his fellow

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